This invention relates to a cleaning apparatus and in particular to a cleaning apparatus for cleaning containers such as paint cans.
In the sale of paints, agitators are placed in various cans of tint colors. These colors are then poured into empty cans to blend special mixes. Once the tint color cans are emptied the cans are disposed of. Since such cans are generally made of sheet metal and are therefore relatively expensive, it is desirable to provide an apparatus for cleaning such cans so that they can be reused. An additional advantage of reuse of the cans is the elimination of the can disposal problem.
Prior art can cleaning devices have been provided for cleaning cans, bottles and the like wherein a cleaning tank is provided including rotatable brushes located therein. The cans must be manually loaded onto the brushes for cleaning. One example of such an apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,891. This patent discloses a tank with a sloping bottom and a plurality of sleeves mounted on the sloping bottom. Rotatable shafts extend through the sleeves and have brushes mounted on the ends thereof. Clamps are attached to the sleeves for clamping cans onto the brushes. The brushes are then rotated and a pump supplies cleaning liquid to the brushes for cleaning the cans. A disadvantage of this apparatus is the need to manually load the cans onto the brushes as this may cause spillage of paint from the cans onto the operator or apparatus. Furthermore, the person loading the cans must lean over the tank which is filled with a cleaning fluid to load the cans onto the brushes which are located inside the tank. Additionally, the clamp structure disclosed in this patent is relatively complicated, making it difficult to clamp the cans onto the brushes for cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,053, shows an arrangement similar to the arrangement disclosed in the above discussed patent but further discloses a clamping structure which is attached to the lid of the tank in alignment with the brushes. Therefore, once the cans are loaded on the brushes and the lid is closed by the operator, the clamps hold the cans in place. In this arrangement the clamps are operated by a compressed air mechanism. This too is a rather complicated arrangement.
It is therefore desired to provide a can cleaning apparatus which is simple and economical in construction and which is easy to operate. It is furthermore desired to provide a can cleaning apparatus having a simple clamp structure wherein the cans may be loaded in the upright position into the clamping structure and wherein the cans may then be pivoted downwardly for engagement with the brushes. It is also desired to provide a can cleaning apparatus wherein no special pumps are needed for pumping cleaning fluid to the brushes.